


To Fall For

by oneshycrow



Category: Mirror's Edge
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, Oneshot, hints of relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-07 00:36:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6777283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneshycrow/pseuds/oneshycrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Faith falls, both physically and emotionally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Fall For

"Turn left up here, there's a vent on top of this next building you can duck in."

"Got it."

Skid to the left, leap, push off, grab, and pull. Climb, vault, and then run. Run and run and run. Faith talked herself through the steps as she scaled the building - directed by the ever-present voice in her ear. Her feet carried her across the roof and all she could feel was the wind whipping against her face and the dull ache in her legs and chest as she looked for the vent as instructed. She had finally gotten her pursuers off her tail, but she continued to push herself to the limit, her heart pounding hard behind her ears. She was certain if she slowed even a little bit, she would be caught. She had _not_ completed a run just to be caught on the way back home. She saw the vent finally - a shining, aluminum safe haven in the middle of a sun-smoldered rooftop. With a quick glance behind her to make sure she wouldn't be seen, she kicked the vent cover in and slipped inside, bracing herself as she dropped at least a good ten feet into the ducts below. She stumbled as she hit, falling forward as she failed to break her long fall with a roll and letting out a loud curse when her ankle twisted and gave out beneath her.

"Fuck!" She cried out, crawling further into the ducts so she wouldn't be seen by her assailants despite the sharp pain in her leg. She stopped when she was shrouded in darkness, able to hear faint noises and voices further along outside the ducts. It was a bit creepy, and she'd never really liked tight spaces, but the pain in her ankle kept her from dwelling on these thoughts for long.

"You in? What happened, kiddo. Talk to me." Faith let out a ragged breath as she touched her ankle, the skin tender and bruised. She shook her head as if Merc could see her, pain shooting up in her leg and panic flaring in her chest. She did her best to quell the fear in her voice.

"I'm in." She said after a few moments, touching her ear to press the man's voice closer. She wasn't alone. It was dark and it hurt - god it hurt like hell - but she wasn't alone. "But, sh-shit, Merc, it hurts. I did something when I fell, it hurts so bad." She waited as she heard Merc hum thoughtfully in her ear, tiling her head as the little speaker buzzed inside from the sound.

"What hurts?" He asked, his tone dropped low and soothing.

"My ankle." She said and she forced herself to sit up as much as she possibly could in the small, cramped, and, quite frankly, stiflingly hot space. She heard Merc let out a sigh.

"Shit, kid, you're always getting into trouble, you know that?" Faith let out a weak laugh at that and leaned her head back against the wall with a thump.

"Yeah, I know." She said with only the smallest hint of exasperation in her voice. 

"Listen, it's probably just sprained. If it was broken, you'd be in so much pain you wouldn't be able to laugh at me." Merc began, his voice much softer than normal as he tried his best to comfort her. "Plus, you'd hear this crunch - it's nasty. This one time I hit a guy so hard I-"

"Merc." Faith cut him off, unable to help the pained grin on her face. She could've sworn she heard a hint of his laugh.

"Sorry, sorry. Get yourself out of the ducts - I'm certain you can walk - and I'll send Kreeg your location. Meet him in the back alley and he'll help you get out of there." Faith could hear the faint tapping of Merc's fingers on his keyboard and she took a deep breath while shifting up into a crouch. She kept most of her weight on her uninjured ankle, unable to help the short grunts she let out as she began awkwardly shambling through the vents.

"Roger that." She muttered between gritted teeth. Putting pressure on her ankle hurt like hell, but as she started making her way through the ducts it turned into a sharp ache - something she could deal with better than the awful burning from before. She managed to make her way through the twisting vents and she punched the grate leading out to a small, white-washed office. She slipped through the opening, dangling as she mentally prepared herself for the small drop to the tile floor. She landed, letting out a strangled cry of pain that she wasted no time in muffling with the back of her hand. She crouched there for a few moments, breathing hard through clenched teeth as she let the flaming pain in her ankle die down. 

"I'd go and bring you home myself if I could." Faith heard Merc murmur. His voice, softer than before as if he hadn't even noticed he'd said anything aloud, was filled with infinite tenderness. Faith breathed in, shaky but sure, and forced herself to stand and begin finding her way through the tangle of hallways and offices she was in.

"I know." She whispered as she limped down the hallway. She heard Merc let out a deep sigh and she could only imagine the look on his face at the moment. She crossed the halls, the fluorescent lights making her eyes seem even foggier, and pushed open the emergency exit. She found herself outside on another roof - about fifteen feet lower than the one she was on before. It seemed to be around twenty-five feet from the ground, and if her ankle wasn't twisted she wouldn't attempted the fast way to the alley below by sliding down the tangle of pipes crawling along the edge of the building. The ladder would have to be enough for now. She limped over to the emergency ladder and began to climb down slowly, using her upper arm strength and one good leg to hobble down rung by rung. Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as she thought it'd be. She limped down the few flights of stairs connected to the building and dropped down a few feet to the alleyway below. Her whole leg felt hot at that point, her ankle swollen and pulsing painfully as she limped further into the alley. She found a shady spot behind a dumpster and slid down against the wall, out of sight from the bustling streets and security cameras of the city. She let out a relieved sigh as she sat and spread her legs in front of her, thankful to have her weight off her ankle.

"I'm here." She said finally. "Is Kreeg on his way?"

"He should be there any min-"

"Faith! Good to see you, as always." A voice cut Merc off and Faith glanced up to see Kreeg jogging toward her - a bright smile on his face. Faith heard Merc click his tongue before going silent and she had to bite her cheek to keep from smiling. Kreeg held out a hand and Faith took it, pulling herself back up with his help.

"Good to see you too, Kreeg." She said with a grateful smile, feeling more tired than ever as she began to walk again. All she wanted now was an ice pack on her leg and a soft couch beneath her. And, perhaps, the warm presence of Merc next to her. She winced when a new wave of pain rushed up her leg and Kreeg's smile turned into a concerned frown.

"Let's get you back to base."


End file.
